Organth

The group picks up an elven emissary from the Luminous Order and begins the trek towards the grave yard. Upon arriving through the outside gates, they are attacked by stone statues known as Weepers. The battle is one of the toughest they have fought. As Lucas drops once and Petros drops twice.

The group decides to retreat and their grey elven wizard teleports them to the Shinning Citadel. There the group rests and Lily utilizes her knack for acquiring items to go on the search for the items on her list. She comes back at 10 the next morning and is exhausted. She rests and the group teleprts to the base of the skull hill.

Inside the hill they encounter a nasty trap in the from of 4 stone statues that can summon endless skeletal worgs. They find writing in dozens of different languages and their wizard deciphers the script to realize they need to bring in a body. The do so and Lily is able to help Petros open the stuck door.

Beyond they find a room of rotting corpses with maggots all over the floor. The group fans out and a black pudding attacks them. They easily dispatch of the monster and continue. Southward they discover a floor with broken stones and it’s obvious this is the wards that kept an evil creature intact. They also discover hidden writing from the guy who sent them to this place.
Then they are attacked by a wraith. The wizard’s hold undead spell gives the party time to beef up their archer Lucas and he destroys the creature.

Further on they discover money and a magic sword named Death Breaker. Upon leaving they see a hunched figure running and the wizard casts fly on everyone to pursue.

He leads them back to the funeral home. The owner is a necromancer that attacks them along with the aid of his flesh golem. The group subdues him and the town’s people hang the necromancer the next day. before he dies he turns the flesh golem over to the group as his way of redemption for his awful crimes.

The group travels back to Riverbend to resupply. Petros gives his armor to a local armorsmith to try and sell for him. Zhu finds a love interest in the current ruler of Riverbend with the Countess Elaine Entrighan much to Marcus’ shagrin. Both Zhu and Lily stay for about a week at the royal mansion. Both find time to pour through her vast library to learn as much about their two races as possible. Then the group trecks north to Freeport.

Once in Freeport it becomes clear that their triump in Tagen’s realm has not gone unnoticed and word has spread throughout the valley to very important figures.
A messenger arrives and give Zhu an invitation to Merrick Kedrell’s mansion. An Invitation form Merrick Kedrell to Zhu has peeked everyone’s interest. He requests her precense in three weeks.

When the group arrives they are swiftly met by High Priestess Bryanuur. She quickly takes the Grail from them. The group discovers later that she sold the Grail to Lanthurae who is taking the grail north to the city of Pedestal underground.

Soon after that Bariss Carstellan invites the group to his mansion. After a thorough investigation, their meeting is interuppted by Aramel, High Wizard of the Valley. Apparently the group was about to reveal something incredibly dangerous to Bariss Carstellan. Aramel has the group pour their memories into a bottle. After a heated debate the group quickly leaves.

They also come across Elliad Kedrell. Elliad Kedrell is a one of the leaders of the Ebon Kabal. He says the Ebon Kabal is fractured because of the recent rise of Talen Plarney as the supreme ruler. He offers to help the party if they want it. The group takes up his offer and he teleports them an entrance to the underdark near Pedestal.

The group finds a new magical means of travel in something called an earth node. Those of the gifted ability have to “attune” themselves to the node for 8 hours and then are able to use it as a means of teleporting from one area to another. The group arrives in a large underground cave. The meet a grey dwarf merchant that has wares to trade. After purchasing a few items and gelaning what information they can from him, thhey move on.

They come to a beach of a large underground lake. Beyond they can see glimmers of the city of Pedestal. They also find a large stone bridge that has been erected on the eastern side of the lake up against the cavern wall. The group begins to travel across the bridge. Halfway across the bridge they encounter a nasty fish creature called an Aboleth that had minions known as Skum. The Skum were created from humanoids the Aboleth has captured. Early in the battle the ranger Lucas was ensorcelled to do the creature’s bidding and he shot their Wizard Marcus in the back with arrows dropping him. Lucas also commanded his giant lizard animal companion Grimm to attack the party. Luckily, the group was able to attack the Aboleth and drive it away and knock Lucas out.

After the drama on the bridge the group made it to the gates of Pedestal. There they encountered Fish men known as Kuo-Toans. They easily dispatched of them and ventured into the city. Petros’ knowledge of History and Local cities helped the group with knowing where to go next. The went to the Dripstone Inn and encountered Es Sarch, a obviously neutral undead creature that seems to be somewhat the power seat of Pedestal. Es Sarch let the group know that an agent of the Assasin’s guilde has the item they were looking for and had taken it to the Necromancer’s Spire. Es Sarch has an item that will enable the group to enter the Spire free of the Spire’s nasty magic traps but they would first have to go to an island and acquire mushrooms for Es Sarch that he needed for the undead plague affecting the city. The group was directed to a pier in the south side of the city.

At the south side of the city they dealt with a female grey dwarf who seemed to have dark intentions until Zhu handled that matter diplomaticaly. The group then acquired a boat and headed to the island. On the isalnd they found that spores on the island were damaging them, so they quickly headed to the center to find the spores and were assaulted by fungus men. Tougher battle than the Kuo-Toans but they pre-vailed in the end and retuned with the spores.

On their way back to the city an unepxected fight kills Petros’ and he resurrects the entire city as whatever rediculous power is inside him lashes out uncontrolled.

Eventualy they return to Es Sarch and he gives them a ring that allowed passage into the Spire. So they began their journey.

At the tower’s entrance Lily brilliantly bluffed drow elves that were guarding the entrance. Petros’ knowledge of Arhictecture and Enginering really helped the group not be fooled by some of the Spire’s hidden areas. The group battle unique undead, evil faeiries, aberrations impersonating kitchen ware, weird fire elementals, and golems made of glass. At the top of the Spire they found a passage filled with half stone and half flesh statues. In the room east of their the final battle begins. Unfortunately, Grim and Lucas are turned to stone by a half yuan ti/half-medusa. The group retreats and waits. Then goes back to the room and discovers her gone. They later find a halfling in the passage and a treasure chest. Inside the chest they find oils of stone to flesh. They bring back the halfling, Lucas, and Grim. They also go back into the hallway and bring back an angel they saw. When they return to the room again, the medusa comes back and the battle ensues again. This time Marcus, the halfling, and the angel are turned to stone. The medusa is slain and a golden magical rod, magical armor, and a magic shortbow are found.

The group is heart broken over their friend’s loss but realize they can only take the halfling with them. So they decide to sneak back through the city, over the bridge, and back to surface. they accomplish this with realitive ease.

On the surface the ranger Lucas advises them that Hemyulak is the closest village. So they begin their trek through the Blackreach mountains. On the first day the group finds signs that a large creature has destroyed sections of the forest. Later that night the group finds a cave to rest in but unfortunately their rest is interupted by a giant lizard that Zhu and Lily indentify as a white dragon. The creature breaths a cone of cold air. The battle is ferious and last 30 seconds which seems like a life time but eventualy the group drives off the beast.

Petros uses his knowledge of enginering with the aid of Lucas’ knowledge of nature to effectively plug the cave entrance. 7 hours into the night the owner of the cave, a trol, shows up and a fight ensues. This creature is much easier to dispacth than the dragon. The find a weird magic item on the creature made of troll intestines that acts as a rope along with a small sum of wealth.

The trek to Hemyulak take an additional day and a half but is uniterrupted. Arriving in the small village Lucas finds a druid grove and spends some time there.

The group spends the better part of 2 months in the village before heading southward. There they find a new mission dealing with some evil spirit in a grave site.

The group learns much about the village of Shul Shennek. The village is more like a communist community with elected leaders that give outsiders a sense of familiarity. The group does much business in town including selling most of the equipment they have found. They also have a magic bow created for Lucas by a cleric with a local business. Markus meets with the lord of the merchant house treeboar and is formaly invited to a party in Freeport in one month’s time. After resting for a couple of days, the group re-enters Tagen’s realm. The group has already scoured two towers and decides to check out the last two located to the west. They venture to the tower more northwesternly and encounter a crystal golem that kills Kiteera and nearly wipes out the entire party. Luckily Zhu’s wisdom guides the party into focusing on the creature and not the glass tentacles it created and the strange creation is destroyed. The group decides to then focus southward and abandons the idea of the northern tower. They encounter floating flame skulls and three skeletons. They dispatch those and continue upwards. They find a room that houses dozens of ceremonialy wrapped corpses that have obviously been pilfered for undead creations. North of that room they encounter a crazy wizard in a vat that summons creatures and they enventualy kill him.

Upward to the final level of the tower they encounter Talen, Petro’s brother. A few of the party members realize this is the picture they uncovered on the stone walls of prophecy. Before anyone can react, Talen unleashes a black emanating power that begins draining everyone of life, powers, and spells. Petros unleashes his power that brought him back to life and the two powers collide. It is clear to those in the room that the energy being unleashed is beyond the scope of the gods. Then as the walls predicted, Tagen the Bleak returns. He speaks to the group briefly and gives the Grail of Shagrala to Zhu and tells her that he believes her god is putting to much faith into her abilities to complete her destiny. He leaves. The group leaves and heads back to Shul Shennek. After much debate, the group decides to return to Freeport. But what awaits them there…………..

The group decides to take the orcs offer and meet the boss. They meet the boss and Lily notices a giant spider that the Orc leader keeps looking at in the darkness. All the orcs leave and Petros says the spider thinks he is its master. After resting a couple of days Petros says the spider no longer believes he is its master and the orcs rush to attack. Big battle and Marcus is dropped. Evetualy they win and the party heals partialy. The they find an elevator shaft and go down and are attacked by white skinned pygmy giants and a half-orc. They kill the giants and the half-orc turns out to be a yochol. It beats on the group using magic and eventualy Marcus’ magic missles and Lily’s eldricth blast do it in.

On the level below, the group encounters more pygmy giants along with a pygmy giant spellcaster. Petros is slain and the group kills the threat. Petros comes back to life with gold energy shooting out as powerful as a God’s. Everyone is healed and all powers back.

The group finds a room behind a hidden passage and its is filled with water. The group finds an undead and kills it. Then they find a high elf from Shul Shenek along with a key that gets them out. They also find the King’s tear.

So the group leaves and travels to Shul Shennek. They rest and look to resupply before returning…………….

Another day in Riverbend allows the group to acquire rumors. The group takes care of final neccesities and begins its trip towards the OakWood. Their trek over the plains between Oakwood and Riverbend is uneventful. Upon reaching the woodline the group sees a squadron of dead orcs just outside the woodline as if a fierce battle took place. Kiteera is ensorcelleed upon seeing the trees and begins walking towards the woods. A bird is perched in the treeline and seems to be possessed and watching the group. The group travels inside the Oakwood and finds the stone circle. They place the crystal in the side of the stone slab in the middle and draw blood from Kiteera.

The group teleports to Tagen’s Realm which is a realm of crystal towers and bridges. The ground is all ocean and the sky is starless. On the bridge awaiting them is a skeletal dragon that turns out to be just that and not undead when Lily blasts it with an eldritch bolt.

Within the first room of the first tower the group encounters a crystal statue that greets them and then an owlbear rushes to attack them. They kill it and skeletons and zombies attack and they destroy them. In the room to the right they find nothing. To the left they find a sitting room. The room north of there is a fountain room. A blood trail leads to a room to the east. The group follows the trail and inside the other room is a corpse with its skin pulled off. They move in slowly and are attacked by something Zhu recognizes as a Forsaken Shell. It drops many party members and the group quickly recovers, killing the creature after a successfull bluff by Lily.

The following room reveals a set of stairs leading up to the next level of the tower. The group finds an ancient elven table and is attacked by a wraith. Their wizard Marcus gets drained. They defeat the wraith and find another room with skeletons and zombies. They bottle neck those creatures and destroy them. In another room they are attacked by shadows and their cleric Zhu gets beat on by shadows. After defeating them, orcs yell down to come join them. The orcs offer to take them to their leader…………..

The group stands in the room of the stone walls of prophecy. The first picture shows a dark figure shooting bolts of eldritch fire into the obelisk and demons coming through the breached wall. The second picture showed Lily and Zhu fighting some tentacle demon. The third picture shows a crytsal keep over water. Lucas’ ring shoots red lightning out and possesses him. A spectral image of an eye begins reading the walls. Zhu tries to through a blanket over him and Lucas begins to phase out of existence and then reappears. The ring continues to read the walls and is reading the second wall when Lily blasts the second wall and it crumbles. Behind the picture of Lily and Zhu appears a picture of Petros and his brother Talen. Talen is reaching out his hand and pleading to Petros. Lily begins blasting that one as well. The ring stops and lucas is back to his normal self.

The group searches the next room and discovers a piece of wood hidden in a pulpit. The room itself appears to have been another temple with pews, etc. The group debates over whether to conclude their search of slaughtergarde and decides they are not strong enough to destroy the fire creature. So they decide to leave.

At the entrance they encounter Kendrick Surrinak, Talen Plarney, and Talon Creed. A huge twist in the story. Kendrick tells the group he is the leader of an arrow unit for the Golden Knights and on specific orders from Aramel the High Wizard of the realm. He asks for the last piece of the staff. When the group gets close enough, they realize that Kendrick is a vampire. Markus tries to debate with Kendrick and loses. The group hands over the piece of wood and Kendrick re-unites it with the Staff of Bloodless Rage. Then orders Talon Creed to kill the party. Lucas’ ring comes to life and teleports the group to Marcus’ home in Freeport. Stunned, the group recovers and tries to quickly come up with a plan for evading their new and powerful enemies.

The group decides to travel west and then cut south towards Riverbend. To throw off the trail a bit. They decide that once they get to Riverbend, then can decide what to do next. The group buys horses and after a day and a half of travel, the group arrives in Riverbend. Riverbend has 4 quarters. Nobles, Dirty, Common, and Merchant. Marcus fronts the money and they stay in the nobles quarter. They then travel to the local magic item shop. The shop is owned by a Master Wizard of the Outer Circle, Camren Vale. Marcus picks up a few items and the group has an interesting conversation with Camren Vale. Realizing he is neutral. Kiteera steals a scroll from him and replaces it with a scroll she stole from Marcus. Unbeknowst to the group. Marcus and Kiteera decide to go to the temple of Amara and enjoy themselves. The next morning the group plans that they will have to travel to Tagen’s realm and retrieve the Grail of Shangrala. First, Lily and Lucas go to the gnome circus and enjoy the show. The morning will begin an interesting trek……………………

The group wakes up and decides it must try to explore more of Slaughtergarde. They travel to the southwest section of slaughtergarde to the weird patinings that magicaly came alive. A portal to the east revealed a library guarded by drow priesteses. After killing the drow, the group decided to travel back to Freeport. Marcus, Zhu, and Lily spent most of their time studying the hundreds of scrolls recovered from the slaughtergarde. Petros spent most of his time in the markets speaking with local blacksmiths. He also stopped by his parents’ house and met with his father.

The group travelled back to Slaughtergarde. They returned to the room expecting to see the wererats but they were gone. The group was about to set up formation to go into the other room when a small black dragon breathed acid on the group. The group rushed into the room and was about to finish off the black dragon when a broken faerie jumped in to attack as well. The broken faerie was Kiteera’s friend. Kiteera tried to talk her out of her mindless rage but was unable to so the group slew her.

The group wakes up the next morning in the city of Freeport. The group decides it must unload the supplies it has acquired. Before they do, the group meets an interesting cleric Mask that removes the curse and blindness from Lucas and Petros. They agree to a quest in return. They have to find the Grail of Shangrala. She tells them of a ring of druid stones that would take them to a alternate plane of existence where they would find the grail. Lily, Kiteera, and Zhu use their disguises. Kiteera and Lucas go shopping. Lucas finds a strange item whose magic is immensely powerful. He felts a deep connection to it and acquires the item.

Later Lily, Petros and Zhu have an encounter with a memeber of Zhu’s race known as “The last seed” which tries to destroy Lily and tells Zhu that Lily’s race is the immortal enemy of the Lumians. They knock him out and bring him back to their hiding place. He awakens and vanishes he bonds dropping to the floor.

Its not long before the general of Freeport, Talon Creed finds their hiding place. He is about to take them for certain execution, when a member of a royal family steps in and saves the group. Marcus Perdekark. The group swears fealty to house Perdekark. A noble and a wizard of house Perdekark. They quickly retire to a small estate that Marcus has.

The group decides to finish what they started and goes back to Slaughtergarde. Beyond the encounter with the drow cleric the find a room with a statue of Tagen the Bleak. The fought spiders in that room and a chapel. After killing the spiders in the chapel they found the body of a drow warrior in a web cacoon and looted his corpse. Then the went to the final room and encounter a demonic spider the size of a small house. Petros was in trouble early. Eventualy, the party’s combined might felled the creature. The group then began exploring southward. The group fought a wight, then Zhu’s curiosity started a fight with a creature of flame that nearly decimated the group. Luckily they were able to retreat and the group rested in the room where they defeated the giant spider. The group was very close to exploring every part of Slaughtergarde.

The group stands before the threshold of the opened copper doors. A dark figure emerges with a stained yellow parchment and yells an incantation bringing forth the gift of fireball. The group ducks to avoid much of the explosion, only to face two large Hobgoblins brandishing no weapons. The hobgoblins training shows they belong to some unholy monastic order. The first hobgoblin charges with a flying kick that meets Petros’ shield. The other one swings an arcing roundhouse kick towards Zhu’s neck. Her left hand brings her steel shield up with a dull crack, stopping the devasting kick before it finds it’s mark.

Regaining their bearing from the inital suprise attack, the group springs into action. Zhu yells to Lucas “Take out the spellcaster!”. Kiteera stands up from the far wall groaning. She stills feels the wounds of the previous battles and the fireball would have killed her outright if she did not have a good defensive position. Zhu’s dragon aura brings its life healing ability to bear. As lucas raises his bow, Zhu raises her heavy mace, and Petros’ brings his sword to bear down on the unknown spellcaster at the end of the passageway, the spellcaster brings their plans to a screeching halt with a darkness giftl that cancels Petros’ everburning torch. Luckily the odds are not completely stacked against the group as Lily’s eldritch blast completely melts the face of one of the two hobgoblin monks.

Lily somehow is the only one of the group that can see in the darkness. She feebly barks out commands to the rest of the group. Very unsure of how to get the group to attack the remaining hobgoblin monk. Lucas continues focusing on the unknown mage at the end of the passageway with direction from Lily. The mysterious mage archs a slender olive green ray of energy that strikes Zhu. For a moment her form is sihlouetted. Then the energy flashes out in several directions. Zhu’s strength is significantly reduced. “Damn this darkness!” Petros yells as the monk lands a solid chest punch with a loud crack. The battle rages on a few more moments until Kiteera joins the fray significantly recovered because of Zhu’s fast healing. Together, Zhu, Petros, and Kiteera focus their swings on the final monk while Lucas continues his bow shots on the unseen mage.Before the final monk is brought down he yells at the spellcaster “Prepare the others. I’ll hold them here”. The spellcaster flees and a few moments later Lily’s eldritch bolt brings down the final hobgoblin

“Where to now?” Kiteera mumbles. Before anyone can reply. A small glowing light appears in Petros’ chest and blood trickles from his nose. The others back away slowly and everyone watches in mixed horror and fascination as the light grows bigger. Then the light dims. Petros wipes the blood from his nose and flicks a red slash against the green flagstones with a wet slap. “My gifts are back!” yells Zhu. “Mine too!” chimes in Kiteera. “yup, my powers are restored” agrees Lily. “how did you do that?” Lily asks. Petros more stunned than the others, sheepishly shrugs his shoulders and doesn’t say a word. Moments pass as the group looks at each other and no one says a word. Lucas cuts through the silence “We have to keep moving”. “Right” says Petros. Lily sets three candles on the ground creating candle light instead of darkness as the prevailing light left over instead of absolute darkness. “We should not play into the hands of the spellcaster, he’ll have a trap waiting” whispers Zhu. Lucas studies Zhu’s face in the light “Agreed. Let’s take the doors to the south. They are unlocked” “What do you think the mosaic footprints mean?” Kiteera asks Lucas as she neals down to get a better look. Lucas squats next to her and examines the reptilian footprints.”Not sure. The footprints are definately bipedal.Probably trogs or lizardmen. But they do lead in the direction we are headed.” The ranger Lucas stands and turns to face the riding lizards that did not scatter during the battle. He gently appraoches with his eyes downward.”Whats he doing?” Lily says with a nervous look on her face. “Lucas!” The rangers hand fires behind him with a silencing signal, palm down. His movements towards the lizard are slow and deliberate.It raises its head high preparing to attack.The ranger leans his head and body to the left and then crouches. He outstretches his hand slowly towards the beast. Its eyes roll in its head in unreasonable directions taking in all the information. It lurches forward once in ungainly fashion, stopping 10 feet from the ranger. Its tongue dances dangerously in the air absorbing all the information it can. Then, in one final quick motion its crouches beside the ranger. Lucas’ nails scratch vigorously along the side of its neck. He stands and turns to the group. Each of them smiling and nodding to eachother. Lucas doesn’t smile. He moves back to the party with the lizard in tow “Lets get going”.

The doors to the south are unlocked. Beyond a passeway about 10 feet wide stretches for about 30 feet before broadening into a room. Petros and Zhu take the lead with Lily, Lucas, and Kiteera not far behind. Once Petros passes the threshold a loud roar accompanied by the smahing sound of a great club against armor brings the group back to reality. Petros screams in pain. His clavicle bone almost completely crushed. Petros switches to a compete defensive fighting stance remembering the training his mother provided. The creature raises its greatclub with both hands high above its head. Saliva falling in rivulets from its exposed maw. As it roars in triumph sending spittle across its new found victim, two arrows appear in its upper torso. Its arms drop slightly with a grunt. Then not a moment later its face erupts in a spray of bone and fur as an eldritch blast ends its rampage. Petros and Zhu turn to thank their comrades. Lucas has another arrow knocked and simply nods. Lily’s arm is cocked upward as if she is holding a hand crossbow. Her hand glows with a black and red ball of fire. She gives a cute thumbs up with her other hand. The chamber has 2 exits. One to the south and another to the west. 4 shrines are against each wall. Each one shows another evolution of a snake. From birth to death. “They radiate divination magic” Zhu says. Both Lucas and Zhu are very pre-occupied with the shrines as the rest of the group covers the two exits. “Serpents of Dissolution!” Zhu exclaims. “I think you’re right” Lucas agrees. “The serpents are a fringe cult of Chromosh, the god of pestilence, disease, rot, and reptiles.” Zhu explains “They worship dragons because they believe the are the true path to bring about the end of the world and restart over” “these shrines look new, though” says Kiteera. “That proably explains the giant serpent that attacked us” Lily chimes in.

The group continues southward and finds the passageway turns into natural rock formations. An elevator at the base of the caverns looks like it descends for miles. “This is where the drow come from” Petros says as he examines the pulley system. “We’ll cut the pulley system” “I have a better idea” interupts Kiteera. Lucas and Petros back up as the high elf moves to the pulley system. A couple of minutes later the pulley system looks a little discombobulated. “What did you do?” asks Zhu. It’ll work fine for about 3 mintues and then it will collapse. Killing any drow using it. “Where did you learn to do that?” Lily asks. “high elf school” Kiteera says with a wink and a smile.

The group then takes the west passageway. It winds for a small amount of time and reveals a smaller squared room with a small pool of water bubbling in the center. Canteens and waterskins lay unattended around the pool. The passage continues west and also has exits north and south. Once again Petros makes it only partialy into the room when two large grimlocks brandishing great axes attack immediately. Petros’ shield wines with a high pitched ring deflecting the first series of blows. Zhu moves into the room as Lily, Kiteera, and Lucas fan out. Petros retaliates with a belly slash wounding the first humanoid. Its sightless eyes squint from the pain. The second grimlock swings madly and Petros ducks and the axe finishes its arc against the steel shield of a heavily armored Zhu. Zhu catapults her heavy mace in a massive arc ending the grimlock’s aggression as it falls in a heap under the weight of zhu’s strength. The final grimlock screams indignantly at his fellow’s demise and chops again at Petros, this time finding the mark against his ribs. A rapier in his ribs from Kiteera is his reward. He looks stupidly at her in disbielief but his stare is quickly ended by two arrows and and an eldritch blast to the face. From the south the moans of someone in distress carries to the groups ears.

The group continues to the south passage and they stop up short before a curtain of yellow energy. The mouth of a carved demon holds the energy and the way beyond in its maw. Its eyes dance menacingly with wild red energy. “The portals we keep encountering are the lost portals of Tagen the Bleak” says Lily very matter of factly. “Tagen created two types of portals. One was a fire portal that could do damage to his lord’s enemies and the other was an illusionary one that would confuse the enemies. The power for the fire portals comes from a trapped fire elemental. Its essence is sealed in the pipes within the walls of Slaughtergarde.” Petros stares timidly at the ominous portal “So is this a burn the crap out of you portal or a freak you out portal?”. “This one is illusionary” “Tagen wanted to complete a third that looked like the illusionary portals but were really the fire ones” Feeling less alarmed Petros strolls up to the portal and sticks his head in. An arrow in his cheek is the lesson he learns for his curosity. His scream ignites the group into action. The room beyond is squared. A makeshift stone table serves as the resting place for a mutated faerie. Two drow guard each end. Both are hastily trying to renock their arrows. Petros charges the culprit that shot him. Sensing what is coming it quickly drops the bow and draw its ornately designed longsword deflecting Petros overhead chop to its right and uses his inside line to stab him in the chest. Blood oozes from the small wound. The other drow elf turns to end Petros’ desire to dispatch his comrade but is quickly dropped by two arrows from Lucas. Petros feints high again drawing the drow’s blade high and slashes from right to left opening the drow’s body and dropping it to the floor. Zhu mops up the body and heals the party.

“Queen Kiteera?” the broken form moans. In unison the group turns and faces Kiteera. Her face is awash with amusing bewilderment. She pushes a digit against her chest as if verifying what the broken form says. “My queen, do your guests want tea?” Immediately the world swims away from Kiteera. The floors swirls amid a myriad of colors as if the very stones are rapidly being sucked down a drain. Then an image abruptly bounces into vivid color. Kiteera sees her self in a beautiful white gown and she is wearing a tiara. Blue insectlike wings hold her aloft from the floor. The broken figure on the table is there in front of her in a tuxedo with a silver tray of refreshments. “My queen, do your guests want tea?” “Yes Calen. It is rare the realm of faeiries are visited by a high elf. No less Godriel the King of Elves and his court.” “Indeed my lady!” “I would humbly suggest as your servant that you use more discretion with your affections for King Godriel” “Mish mosh. I take whatever lover I choose” “Yes my lady but it is known that King Godriel’s relationship has just recently ended with The Queen of the Unseelie, Lanthurae” “The last thing we need is mistrust among the court. King Godriel has brought peace to the mortal realm with our help. Lanthurae and her lackeys have finaly been pushed out of the mortal realm and banished to the nightmare realm. Let the realm of faeires have time to heal, my lady” “My passion cannot wait for healing, Calen”

The world swims back into view. Zhu is holding Kiteera by the arm. “Kiteera, are you O.k?” “Can we save him?” she says trembling. Zhu and Lucas move to the body. Zhu directs Lucas and occasionly he does the same to her. They work as fast as they can in harmony. With her palms on the chest of the broken faerie, she turns to Kiteera. I’m sorry. This beast has no chance. “His name is Calen Silverlight. He was my servant…...I guess” The cleric’s hand gently rests on Kiteera’s shoulder “Who are you, Kiteera?” “I truly don’t know. She says through tears. My memories are slowly coming back. I’m pretty sure I was created here by being forcibly made into a mortal.” Petros moves next to her “Before your dying day, we’ll learn your true past” “She cannot die” moans the broken form “She is a TRUE high elf. She is only the second one EVER” “Lanthurae is the first”. “He betrayed us all, your majesty!” “Who” Kiteera pleads as she takes Calen’s hand in her hers. “Who betrayed us?”. Calen’s eyes roll lifeless. Kiteera’s body straightens. The group surrounds her in suppport and in silence.

The group returns back to the room with the pool. The water seems to be coming from a fresh spring somewhere deep within the earth. The group takes the opportunity to refill its flasks. Then heads east. They come to a door that has a message written in undercommon. Petros translates “Danger! Uncontrolled Fire Elemental!” The group decides to avoid that door and returns to the room that they were baptised by fireball. They take the passageway east and discover in continues east but comes to a dead end that appears to be recent excavation. It also has a south exit that has a fire portal that Lily described earlier so they head north. Upon heading north the passageway turns east again and is blocked by a portal of flame. On the west wall is another set of copper doors. The party discusses their options outside the doors and decides to enter. Petros opens the door slighty and is met with the thud of two crossbow bolts. With a snap the door closes. “Wererats!” petros exclaims. His face looks clouded with thought for a moment. “they had a table turned over facing an exit northward out of that room. As if they were defending against something” says Petros. “Wererats are only vulnerable to silver and VERY resilent to any other weapon” says Petros. Lily chimes in “Let’s let them keep guard!” “Then where do we go next?” Kiteera asks as she gives a long needed stretch of her body. The group goes back and forth mainly debating over the flaming portals when they hear a sputtering from the flaming door to the east. They quickly turn to see Kiteera puring wax on the floor. Then with a windy woosh, the flames go out. “Let me guess, high elf school” Lily quips wrily. “You got it babe!”.Petros once again takes the lead.

The room beyond is now dark except for the cascading light of Petros’ everburning torch. He meekly enters the cave. Two large black blankets with teeth swoop forward. One on Petros and one on Zhu. Once agin arrows fly and eldritch magic rings throughout the cavern. The beasts are more fearfull than combat effective and its only time before the combined defense of Petros and Zhu along with ranged attacks from Lily, Lucas, and Kiteera bring the beasts down. “Dire bats!” Petros and Lucas say in unison. The group finds the room seems to have had natural evolution as the other half has sunk 20 feet downward and a tunnel heads upward. Lucas comes up from the floor of the cavern and rejoins with the group “The dire bats are a new addition here. They must use this area as their day time lair and go out at night to hunt using that tunnel”

The group heads back south to the flaming door and Kiteera disables it. “Um Kiteera” mumbles Petros. “I’ve not been to High Elf School and I’m kind of tired of being shot in the face and stabbed allot. Can you maybe scout ahead or something?” “Sure” she replies. Beyond the disabled portal, a set of double doors resides on the east. Further down a passage opens eastward. To the west a single iron door faces north on the south wall. Petros moves up to the first door. Lily and Lucas position themselves to get good angles for ranged attacks as well as Kiteera. Zhu stands directly behind Petros. When the door opens they are greeted by a very familiar dark figure holding a yellow parchment. “Slumbardouis, Can dokuem!!!!!!”. A burst of invisble energy centered on Zhu rolls out in all directions. Petros falls at the feet of the dark foe. “A Deep Slumber gift!!!” yells Lily. “I have a rouse gift, just take him out!” retorts Kiteera. “Wacuumm arisen!!” Kiteera barks. Petros immediately recovers. He quickly regains his feet as a spiked chain slaps the ground where his face was. Three black medallion guards occupy a barracks like chamber. After the first misses, he immediately spins his body and the chain follows and wraps Petros sword with the intent to strip him completely of his weapon. Petros’ was trained by his mother, a great ranger, and is very prepared for this tactic as he uses his wrist to make quick small circles unwrapping the chain as the black medallion guard ranks the chain attempting the disarm. “STOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOP!!!!!!” Lily screems. “We are on a secret mission for Kendrick Surrinak himself”. Her eyes are now dimming from the green light of her empathy power. She saw deeply into the souls of these men. They desired importance and direction. They felt abandoned. The hope in their eyes showed they needed this. The rest of the group turned and looked quizicaly at Lily. Not knowing the power she just used. “Its O.K., you are not alone own here but I need an update.” “Mam, we have pushed the drow back but they keep regrouping” Lily is confused “What are orders and who do they come from?” Our orders are to do everything to get rid of the drow and if all else fails, retreat and seal the topside.” Keeping the ruse going “What have you encountered?” “Several drow and the room to the south has an unholy aura so we dare to go near it.” “Good, keep doing what you have been doing. We’ll meet back up soon” Slowly the group backs up as Lily turns her back on the black medallion guards. She closes the door behind them. And slumps visibly. “I didn’t think that would work!” “I would never have believed that load of crap!” Kiteera says emphaticaly. “Everyone’s soul has some crap that they are willing to stomach. You just have to find it.” says Lily thoughtfully.

The group continues south and Kiteera looks into the room that turns east. 5 beds and a small table occupy the area. Kiteera with Petros in tow begins scouring the area. Upon searching the wall with the table Kiteera screams as the wall comes to life and a man sized demon with wings and horns roars and slashes Kiteera across the face. It rushes across the room directly at Lily that blocks the exit and attempts to use a horn to spear her. She barely avoids the strike. “Slumborium et adelante” The creature falls in a heap as Kiteera’s outstretched hand shows where the power of the gift came from. The group gathers around the creature. “Gargoyle!” echoes Petros and Lucas together. “Seems we had allot of the same training” Lucas says with an interested look. “Its not a demon?” Kiteera asks. “No but its flesh can only be harm by an enchanted weapon.” Says Petros. A giggle breaks the silence. The entire group turns and looks at Lily. If her smile could be any bigger it would be terrifying. “The sleep gift can only be interupted by a strong strike.” says Lily. “Lets put the gargoyle on a mattress, carry it to the room with the were-rats, toss it in with them, and let them fight it out”. The group bursts out in a massive gafaw. Several minutes go by with uncontrollable laughter. Giggling the whole way, the group drags the sleeping body of the gargoyle on the mattress up to the door. “On 3. 1…...2…......THREE!!!!” The door comes open and crossbow bolts fly out missing their mark. The gargoyle’s body hurtles through the air. Lucas slams the door and Kiteera begins securing the door.

Still laughing to themselves the group goes to the final room at the south. Jokes brake out about how to play a trick on the undead. The entire time Lucas is not laughing. Lily recognizes the insensitivity of the situation. Lucas has vowed to destroy undead. As a ranger of the world, they are his primary foe. Petros stands in front of the door again and the door is flung open. The air radiates with a hot sticky evil essence. Two dead hobgoblins in half-plate armor stroll about the room. Ignoring the group. Lucas immediately fires two arrows gathering the attention of the foul undead. The combat is almost over before it starts as the combined might of Petros blade with that of Lucas’ bow ends the foul creatures quickly. The room has a treasure chest that gets the best of Lucas’ curiosity as he pokes it with a bow and sets off an acidic glyph of warding. He luckily avoids taking damage. Inside Kiteera finds jewelry and coin. The group then agress to rest and recover their powers. After a solid 8 hours of rest the party decides to go back where it started and bust through the doors to the north.

Missing the strength of their old comrade, the half-orc barbarian. Lily agress to blast a whole in the copper doors to remove the bar. Five hours later the bar is removed and the group finds a passageway heading north that Ts to head both east and west. The group takes the west branch, which turns north into an illusionary curtain. Petros enters and is immediately assaulted by two drow rogues firing hand crossbows. Petros ducks under the first volley yelling at the top of his lungs for back up.The rest of the group rushes through the magic portal. The drow are dispacthed in a reasonable amount of time. The room has a weird pool in it. The pool has an appearance of liquid silver. At the far end on either side are life size statues of two elephants. The faces of the elephants are carved to look very menacing and demonic. The group seems intrigued with the pool. Especialy Kiteera and Lily. The group takes the body of a dead drow and throws it in the water. Its flesh immediately turns bright red. “Wow!” says Kiteera. Lily begins to prod Kiteera’s chaotic nature “I wonder what would happen if you got in the pool or drank it?” “Well I guess there is only one way to find out” responds Kiteera. The ranger moves fast and places himself in front of Kiteera and the pool. “This pool was obviously made with evil arcane magic. It can do something to you that would make you a danger to us all.” “fine” mumbles Kiteera. She takes an empty wineskin and fills it up. A single exit at the southwest of the chamber heads west and has another demon archway of yellow energy. The group staggers itself begin the archway and awaits Petros to move into the room.

When Petros moves through the portal he is hit with a white comet of magical energy as a drow cleric quickly finishes an incantation. The energy travels to swirl around him and bind his mind. Petros fights it off to the best of his ability. Two large grimlocks carrying greataxes begin to rush in his direction as the rest of the party moves into the room. The first grinlock draws Petros’ shield high and the second takes the advantage chopping against his upper leg. A large smile of a gash opens up and his garments are immediately soaked. Kiteera forward shoulder rolls between the legs of the grimlock on Petros’ left drawing her rapier as she does. She lunges with a forward thrust and her backfoot catches a patch of blood stalling her attack on the grimlock. Zhu moves into the room and arcs her mace towards the right grimlock’s cheekbone. He pulls the greataxe from Petros’ leg and slaps the weapon to the side with a roar. Directly following Zhu Lucas fires a volley of two arrows at the cleric and a strange cloud of black tendrils appears and bats the shots away. “She has a shield of faith spell and its obvious its not a god of light she worships” says Lily as she moves to Lucas’ right. She slings her hand forward and a blast of eldritch fire races towards the drow clerics face and she leans her head out of the way. “Kiteera!” The drow cleric exclaims. “This is like a family re-union. You also brought guests for me to entertain. Kiteera. You should not have come back.”

Once again the world swims away. She hears the shouts of her friends. But they are muffled and far away. She is dressed in armor. Godriel the elf king is beside her. Before a battle field of dead faeiries and unseelie scatter a beautiful golden field of flowers. Before here on her nees is the Unseelie Queen Lanthurae dressed in dark blood soaked battle plate. “You are hereby banished to the nightmare realm for all eternity.” Lanthurae interupts with rage trembling on her lips “You stole my lover, killed my family, taken my throne” “No Lanthurae. Your evil actions have done these things to you. You made choices and went against the faerie code. You allowed your soul to become corrupted and the dark obsidian transformed you into Unseelie. You are no longer a faerie.” “I curse you Kiteera. My darkness find you and strip you of everything you love. May some dark God hear my curse.”

The world swims back to the chaos of combat. Petros is close to death’s door. Zhu’s voice raises with clerical magic “Great God Umothemean protect me from evil, Absordian Atanamy!!” A bright white pentagram opens at her feet and spins clockwise and a silver triangle appears over her head then the visual affects disapat. The drow cleric responds with Clerical magic of her own “Dark god Chromosh, bring forth your vengeance! Esmartium Telentra!” A black semi-translucent warhammer springs into being not even a foot from Lucas’ face. It swings downward and Lucas’ volts his body away. “By the Gods! What is this dark magic” “Its a spiritual hammer!” exclaim both Lily and Zhu in unison. “She must have a direct line to it. Break its line of affect Lucas!” Lily finishes her statement as she blasts forth a bolt of fire and misses the drow cleric who cackles evily. “Yes Lucas, run away!” The two grimlocks split their atatcks between Zhu and Petros’. Kiteera continues to try and draw their attention. Petros spins away from an attack to position himself within striking distant of Lanthurae. “Get this fighter off of me, you fools!”. Wide eyed the grimlocks try to oblige. Kiteera attempts to cut the one closest to her when it tries to manuever but it evades her slash at its back. The big Grimlock’s axe catches Petros square in the stomach. He groans with pain. “Petros!” Zhu moves forward. “Mesmuria lividia!”. His wounds heal soundly. Both the thigh cut and stomach slash have ttemendously slowed the bleeding. “Dark God Chromosh, bring your blight. Esparda Sepulchrum!!” Lanthurae’s hand is haloed with a crimson black energy. She reaches out and touches his wounded leg. Petros screams in pain and his plams goes to his eyes as black icor drips from them. “You will all feel the wrath of Lanthurae high Priestess of the Serpents of Dissolution!!” Just then the big grimlock takes the advantage and crumbles Petros to the floor. Lucas flees the room with the dark Spiritual Hammer chasing afterwords. Lily, Kiteera, and Zhu are whats left of the group. An eldritch blast hits the big grimlock square in the chest but does not fell the beast. “Opulum Mentonay!!” cries Zhu as she raises her holy symbol to the face of the grimlock on the left. His eyes burn with a yellow holines and he screams terrified and runs for his life. Kiteera slices his leg on the way for good measure. Just then the spiritual hammer returns to her side. Lucas reappears in the room. He fires two bolts at the grimlock hiitting right in the ear. The beast falls in a slow slump. Lanthurae moves up quickly to Lucas “Chromosh curses you forever ranger! Crucio Cromartess!!” Lanthurae’s hand makes a sonic popping sound as it strikes Lucas and a black energy wave travels up Lanthurae and out to her hand touching Lucas. Lucas stumbles back visibly shaken. Zhu and Kiteera rush swinging widly out of hate and anger but cannot penetrate her armor or magical defenses. Lily’s eldritch blast finds its mark, though. Lanthurae shrieks in pan. She then moves moves away from the group to the north wall pulling out a slender silver wand as she does “Sonic Sidnodium!” A invisible burst of a high pitched sound sends Lily flying 10 feet off the floor and striking a wall. Lucas stumbles but holds his footing.” He immediately tries to fire but his hands visibly shake uncontrolled. The malicious curse has struck him. Zhu attempts to strike the wand but Lanthurae deftly sees the attacking coming. She then strikes Kiteera across the face with a quickly drawn dagger. “I’m going to enjoy cutting on that pretty face, Kiteera.” “Not if I have anything to say about it!” Lily rises from the floor and with a grim look of hatred fires a blast of black energy and hits the cleric in the chest. Lily’s face lights up with a dark smile. Zhu’s mace takes advantage and slaps the cleric across the forearm almost causing her to drop the wand. Kiteera slashes her across the face with her rapier. “Something to remember me by!”. “Ilusis Invisiallis!” the cleric disppaears. The group hears running footsteps. Lucas and Lily fire wildly hoping to hit something. “No!” screams Kiteera. Petros stands up recovering because of Zhu’s healing aura. “We have tog et out of here. She may be getting reinforcements and we are too weak to deal with her right now.” “Where do we go?” asks Kiteera. Both Lucas and Petros look at eachother as if knowing what the other is thinking. After a brief moment Lucas says “We’ll take the Field of Bones to the Northwest and hide in Freeport. Hopefully by then this magic will have worn off” “The curse is permanent, Lucas. I’m sorry” Lily’s head tilts downward. “It can be removed though and Petros’ sight can be restored” says Zhu hopefully. “Then Freeport it is” says Kiteera emphaticaly. “I know how to get us in the city. We do have a problem we have to address though. The Surrinaks. The royal house has probably put a bounty on their heads. We either have to align ourselves with another house, join an order, or sneak in unnoticed. “I’ll not serve anyone” Zhu says sternly. “The Marktunsels” Lily adds. The group turns to look at them. “My father made it a point for me to study the royal families. The Marktunsels are a royal halfling family. Rogues, cheats, scoundrels….” “Why would we deal with them?” Zhu says incredulously. “They like the underdog. Plus the like money even more and don’t seem to care who they help.” Kiteera interupts quickly “Vintra Marktunsel is someone that is known in the seedier parts of the city. When we get there you guys wait outside the gates and I’ll try to make contact and get us smuggled into the city.” “Sounds like a plan. Let’s get out of this awful place” says Petros with a groan.

The group travels northwest stopping at night to settle in for camp. The two riding lizards seem uncomfortable with the open air. The next morning the group begins to cross the field of bones. Once a giant river bead. All that’s left now is smooth water stones of all shapes and sizes. The wind constantly batters at the group. “Our tracks won’t last here” explains Lucas “Whoever tries to track us is not going to have much luck”. Two days later the group sees the city outskirts. Farms glow in the distance. Giant corn fields sway in the breeze. Riverboats float lazily on the waters of the Marilach River. Wagons off all shapes and sizes mobve in and out of the walled city. Guards in white tabards patrol the bottom section of the gate while other guards walk the top of the city walls. “Wait here. I’ll be back in a couple of hours with a riverboat” Kiteera begins joggin lightly towards the city.

A couple of hours later A small riverboat stops at the river shore across from the group. Kiteera and a very beautiful and charismatic halfling emerge from the small vessel. “I am Vintra Marktunsel! We have made arrnagements for your group as well as accomodations.” Vintra addresses each member of the group by name. The group takes the boat into the city. Vintra takes them to an abandoned house of a decently wealthy merchant and tells them not to leave the house. The group beds down and reflects on the past few days ….......................

Lucas and Lily stay in Lukrimar keep to avoid the Dondurran area. Unknown to the party, Lily’s step brother Kamell Surrinak has been send by his father to retrieve Lily. Lily and Lucas settle down for the night to have their evening cut short by the arrival of Kamel Surrinak and the black medallion guards. After a heated debate between Kamell, Lily, and Lucas, a fight breaks out. Lily sets the barn on fire. Her tactic does not work as she and lucas are taken captive.

Kamell softens up a little as he takes his captives to the Surrinak Hunting lodge to await trial by the inquisitors of the Ebon Cabal. Lily senses her brother’s great depression with his new role as a hunter of men for his father. He apologizes for how he has treated them. His lawful nature clashes with Lily’s as they discuss the future though. Little does Kamell know Lily’s friends will be close behind.

In Donduran Zhu, Petros, and Kiteera take the spices back to the half empy/half full tavern. Hoping to receive a handsome payday, they are instead met by 8 black medallion guards. The fight is going against them from the get go when 2 townspeople jump into the fray to help them. The battle turns quickly and the 2 mysterious guests introduce themselves. The shopowner of the Quick Fix is a paladin of Artenthus that goes by the name of Sir Thomas Shoumate. Ulgar Strokeln is the local blacksmith and a wizard. Cade Cora tells the group that their friends have been captured and are being taken to the Surrinak Hunting Lodge to await trial by 2 inquisitorsof the Ebon Kabal.

At the hunting lodge Kamell finds guilt in the eventual death of Lucas. Just then a gigantic serpent bursts into the room. It slays two of the 4 black medallion guards and poisons everyone else accept Kamell. Kamell casts clerical gifts on the party slowing the poison but he’ll have to act fast if he wishes to save his step sister and Lucas.

The rest of the group arrives at the hunting lodge to find the finished melee. Zhu’s extradordinary gift of fast healing quickly revives her fallen comrades. Unbeknowst to the party Kamell has encountered Gosk the highwizard of the dwarves in the woods. Gosk gets Kamell to see the error of his ways. Kamell goes back to the party. The others are surprised when he tells them to hide.They decide to go into the Slaughtergarde Temple to escape the Ebon Cabal Inquisitors. Kamell makes Lucas promise he’ll watch over his sister. He then hugs Lily and says goodbye.

With that the group enters the slaughtergarde. The god Umothemean intervenes on the group’s behalf and creates a room where the group can rest and recover. The group enters the first room which has double copper doors on both the north and south and the east entrance is shaped like a demon mouth whoose eyes glow menacingly. Two drow recognize Kiteera and call her by name. Kiteera’s memories flood back to her as she realizes this is her birthplace. This horrible place is where the drow captured her as a faerie and tore her wings off, making her become a high elf. Her memories are still fragments though.

The drow quickly take the upper hand though as one arrow in the shin and another in the thigh, drops Kiteera. The party explodes into action. Lucas, Lily, and Petros hustle down the stairs. The leather ripping sound of Lucas’ composite bow being pulled quickly gets the attention of the drow as Lily pulls Kiteera up the stairs to Zhu who is waiting with clerical magic. As arrows fly, Petros manuevers through the chaos of bodies with weapon drawn. He engages the drow as Lucas drops the other one with a shot to the head.The seoond one was waitng for his overhead chop and draws Petros’ blade past his left shoulder. The sharp tip of the drows ornately carved longsword finds Petros’ soft ribs through his armor. After leaving Kiteera to be attended to by Zhu, Lily races down the stairwell hearing Petros’ pleas for help. With a cry of rage she blasts a bolt of eldritch fire lancing of the drow’s left shoulder. At the same time, 2 of Lucas’ arrows can’t find their mark. Petros slashes at the drow’s head hoping to end the battle but the drow ducks and opens up Petros’ belly. Petros’ posture buckles like an old man’s. Lily fires another eldritch blast missing in frustration and two more of Lucas’ arrows miss their mark. The drow raises his blade for a death kill and with a grunt looks surpised to find Petros’ posture has straightened and a blade is embeded in his heart.

The doors on the north and south have been barred so the party decides to carry forward. Zhu heals the wounded before doing so.”Wait” Petros says. The open room beyond the passage has made him nervous. He casts a dancing lights spell and a ghost sound of men walking. His trick works as his image passes the threshold, a full plate armored foe on the back of a riding lizard charges the image with a lance. Petros’ then trys to dazzle the rider with a flare spell and is unsuccessfull so he retreats back down the hallway into the room. Fearing his charge with the lance, the party throws their backs to walls of the original room. The armored figure casts a spell of darkness and shadowy illumination appears. Most of the party is blinded. Lily is not and blasts a bolt of eldritch fire wounding him. Then Petros uses the gift of shocking grasp and drops the rider.The group recovers and Zhu takes the rider’s full plate armor. Their story is put on hold here…...........

But above them in the sky about 100 feet from the top of the hunting lodge a wizard battle happens. “Masters of the outer circle?, I think not” says Gosk as he blasts the two wizards with a cone of cold almost killing one instantly. The wizards panic. “Improved Invisibility!!!!” A true master!”. The pair cast two fireballs side by side hoping to catch the highwizard. The sky lights up with a roar of anger as his singed form sihlouettes for a moment. Then the words of destruction begin “How dare you claim the titles of masters!! Ununce abrum oker ARAKUM!!!!!!!!!!!! A pair fully endowed scorhing rays incinerate the two wizards. Gosk lands to the ground in their ashes. “Go dark raven, may the gods protect your destiny”